Can I Be Pretty
by Zelach
Summary: AU.One-Shot. Deidara is just a little boy who wants to be pretty. Like the models on TV. But sometimes we can't always understand what pretty really is.


**EDIT: **My username has been changed, just to let you know. My new pen name is Zelach, and hopefully it will to stay. ^^;

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**Can I Be Pretty?**

When we're young and our minds are the purest, we are as innocent as can be. But also the most impressionable. When we think about how we grew up we never really think that the things we did, or said was influenced on our childhood. But it's true. They were . . . .

"Mommy! Mommy!' Cried out Deidara.

He bounded down the stairs, running as fast as he could, but gently cupping in his hand a small fragile clay bird. Turning a corner he raced to into the living room. Lying on their couch was his mommy. She gazed quizzically at her son who was smiling excitedly at the blonde woman.

"Yes Dei-kun?" Deidara walked happily up to his mother who was now sitting up and looking at his cupped hands. "What do you have in your hands Dei?" Slowly parting his hands, he raised them up to show his mother his new creation.

She smiled in amusement at her sons new creation. Ever since Dei could walk, and move around on his own, he was always fascinated by clay, and loved making small animals from them. Gently scooping her son into her arms she placed him into her lap, were he giggled happily. She gave him a peck on the cheek and nuzzled him.

Deidara giggled again. "Do you wike it Mommy?" She nodded and smiled fondly at her son. "Of course. You get better after each one darling." Deidara smiled brightly, he gazed back down at his small bird and began thumbing the wing, but his attention was brought away from his newest work of art to the TV.

On the screen he saw a woman walk down a runway wearing a long flowing dress, her heels adding 5 inches to her usual height. Deidara watched in awe as lights flashed around her, making her dress glittering in the temporary flashes of light. As she reached the end of the runway, she gave a flip of her long hair and gave a bright sparkling smile before turning around and gracefully walking back the way she came.

"Wow!" Exclaimed Deidara loudly. His mother laughed lightly, bouncing him in her lap. "Did you like that Deidara?" She asked amused. Deidara nodded in excitement. "Uh-huh! She was wery pwetty, un!" She laughed again. "She was wasn't she Dei-Kun."

As the next woman walked down the runway, Deidara was amazed once again, at how beautiful she was, but this model was shorter than the last, she was very quick to walk to down the runway, but she did it with such grace. More came after the first two and Deidara continued to watch in awe. Soon they had to break to a commercial. Deidara pouted in disappointment. He wanted to see more of the pretty ladies.

"Mommy?"

"Hm?" Said his mother who looked down at her son who was fidgeting in her lap.

"I want to be wike them, un!" He said giddily. His mother laughed and gave a peck to his blonde locks. "Really? What made you think that Dei-Kun?"

"They were all pwetty! I want to be pwetty like them too, un!" He bounced again in his mother lap, turning around so he could face his mother and play with her long blonde hair. He looked back up at his mom and asked hesitantly. "Can you make me pwetty Mommy, un?"

There was a pause as she thought about the question before she nodded. Smiling brightly at her little boy she picked him up and carried him into the bathroom that was down the hall. Nudging the door open, she placed Deidara on the counter of the sink, and opened up a drawer, and rummaged through it. From Deidara's view, he saw many ribbons, clips, numerous tubes, and colorful pallets. His mother hadn't done anything yet and he was already getting excited.

"Okay!" She said happily. "Are you ready Dei-Kun?" Deidara nodded eagerly. "Okay! But first, you'll have to close your eyes." Deidara pouted and his shoulders sagged. "Aaw, why un!" She gave a light tap to his nose. "Because, if you don't, then the magic won't work." Deidara gapped in shock, if he didn't close his eyes he wouldn't be pretty! He shut his eyes as hard as he could. His mother chuckled in amusement.

As his eyes were closed he could feel his mother pull a brush through his blond locks of hair. He felt a few tugs of his hair, and how he could feel his mother place a few random touches of her finger on his face. Deidara's eye twitched slightly as he felt something go over his lashes.

"Stop that Dei!" His mother protested lightly. "Sorry. . . Un." He mumbled quietly.

After a few more minutes he heard his mother say it would only take a few more seconds and he could open his eyes, he felt his heart speed up in excitement. With his mothers magic he could be pretty, like the girls on TV!

"Okay. . . . Now!"

His eyes flashed open and he squirmed around on top of the counter so he could face the mirror, kneeling atop the marble sink counter top, he gazed unblinkingly at his reflections. He looked at himself for more than a few minutes soaking in his appearance. He had little ribbons clipped into his short choppy blonde hair. Instead of it being messy like it had been not nearly ten minutes ago, it was smoothed out. Little sequenced stars were placed at the corners of his eyes, they sparkled slightly in the dim lights in the bathroom. And just like the women on the TV, his lashes were darker and longer, making his blue eyes stand out more than they usually did.

He looked different, Deidara had decided after a few minutes. Except. . . . . He didn't look like the girls on TV. Disappointment swelled up within him. He gazed sadly at the marble counter top, his fingers following the random swirl designs. His mother sensing his disappointment gave Deidara a comforting kiss on the cheek and began rubbing his back soothingly. "Dei-Kun. . . ."

"Huh?" He said quietly, snapping back into the present. "You don't think you look pretty." It wasn't a question, but more of a statement. Deidara nodded, glancing back down. "Deidara, look at me." He glanced back at his mother who was looking at him with determination.

"Why don't you think you look pretty?" He shrugged, but answered quietly. "I don't have pwetty hair, un. . . ." She thought to herself for a moment before speaking. "I'll tell you a secret about those pretty women on TV, okay Dei-Kun?" His ears perked up, wanting to hear this secret he nodded eagerly, his usual excitement, started glimmering once again in his now accentuated blue eyes.

"They aren't really that pretty Dei-Kun." Deidara's brows furrowed together, as he tried to reason with that. But it didn't make allot of sense. They appeared very pretty to him on TV. They were all perfect, right down to their hair to their toes.

Catching onto her sons confusion, she continued. "You know why?" He shook his head, making one of his locks of blonde hair to fall on his forehead. She smiled lightly at her son, and smoothed the loose lock back into place. "They have to have different people to make them look pretty."

Different people. . . . Made them pretty?

"They worked hours to make their hair so pretty, they wear enough make up to cover up all of the things that they don't like about their faces, and they have to eat certain foods to stay so skinny."

As Deidara thought about this new statement, his mind buzzed with so many questions that he couldn't keep track of them all, but out of the blue he blurted out loudly, "But why? They're al-weady pwetty, un!" She smiled again, once again tapping him on the nose.

"Because, they don't believe their pretty enough Dei-Kun." Deidara was quiet once again. Gently touching her forehead with Deidara's she whispered to him, "Want to know once more secret?" Deidara nodded, listening eagerly.

"There's one thing that can make you feel 100% prettier." Whispering quietly into Deidara's ear, his eyes widened, gasping. Moving back she smiled lovingly at her son. "W-weally, un!" He asked in shock. She nodded, a happy glimmer sparkling in her cerulean eyes. "Really."

A large smile broke out on Deidara's face, his heart warmed, glancing back in the mirror her smiled. He was pretty! 'Just like Mommy said!' He thought to himself happily.

"DEIDARA! SWEETIE?" A booming voice echoed through the house. It was Daddy! Deidara thought happily, he squirmed trying to reach the floor so he could greet his Daddy. His mother chuckled, and placed Deidara on the floor. She gave him a light push out of the bathroom. "Go on, go show Daddy!"

Deidara ran excitedly down the hallway, making a sharp left to the kitchen, but before he could step into it, he bumped into something hard and fell back onto the carpet.

"Deidara?" He rubbed his nose hoping it would get rid of the tingle. He glanced up still rubbing his tiny nose. His Daddy was a very tall man. With a strong build, and strong jaw line. He was Deidara's hero.

"Daddy!" Deidara exclaimed happily. His father chuckled picking up his one and only son, and bouncing him in his arms. "How are you Deidara?"

"Good!" He giggled excitedly. He tugged at his fathers shirt collar excitedly, trying to get his attention for another second. "Daddy! Daddy!" He looked back at the bundle of joy in his arms. "Hm?"

"See Daddy, un!" Deidara pointed to his hair, showing of his ribbons, then pointing to his black lashes. "Mommy made me pwetty, un!" His fathers brows furrowed together, before he sighed, turning around he placed Deidara on the counter. Deidara watched his father in confusion as he began wetting a paper towel. But his mind was still wondering why his Daddy didn't say he looked pretty.

"Hold still Deidara." Bring the paper towel up to Deidara's face, he began wiping of the mascara his mother had put on him not awhile ago. He squirmed trying to get away from the wet paper towel. "NO! Un!" His father sighed in irritation as he moved onto the other eyes. "Stop being difficult Deidara." A few more minutes of his squirming his father was done.

Throwing the now black smeared paper towel away, he gently picked Deidara up and placed him back onto the floor. Deidara was glowering down at the floor, tears pricking at the edges of his eyes. His father must of taken the sequenced stars of his eyes too, since he didn't feel the slight itch near the corner of his eye anymore.

His father crouched in front of him, ruffling his hair slightly. "Don't cry over something like this kiddo. . ." Deidara huffed, "B-but, you m-made me un-pwetty, un. . " His voice wavered. He heard his father sigh again. "Deidara. That's not something you need to worry about. Now. Buck up." Standing back up, his father went farther into the house, looking for his wife. And to discuss with her, about this new found 'issue'.

Still sitting on the kitchen floor was Deidara, he was playing with one of the ribbons that was still in his hair. Sniffling every so often. Why did he say that? 'It was something he didn't need to worry about.' What did that mean? He sniffled once again. "I just want to be pwetty, too, un." He mumbled quietly to himself.

"_There's one thing that can make you feel 100% prettier." Whispering quietly into Deidara's ear she said quietly, "The one thing that can make you feel 100% prettier, is to say this: I am pretty. I am lovely. I am beautiful the way I am now." His eyes widened, gasping. Moving back she smiled lovingly at her son. "W-weally!" He asked in shock. She nodded, a happy glimmer sparkling in her cerulean eyes. "Really."_

Remembering his mothers words, Deidara screwed his eyes shut and tugged a little harder on his ribbons, and silently repeated those words in his head. 'I am Pretty un, I am lovely un, I am beautiful the way I am now, un. I am Pretty un, I am lovely un, I am beautiful the way I am now, un. I am Pretty un, I am lovely un, I am beautiful the way I am now, un.'

"I am Pretty un, I am lovely un, I am beautiful the way I am now, un." He whispered quietly to himself. He sniffled one last time before giving out a shaky breath. After a minute or so he stood back up, and walked out of the kitchen, turning the corner he descended up the stairs. Walking a little further up to the hall at the top of the stairs, he scurried into his room and shut the door.

Sitting back down into his little plastic table, with three chairs. Gently putting back down the clay bird he had shown his mother not too long onto the plastic table top. Next to the few other birds he had made.

Picking up the lump of unformed clay he had left untouched before he began quietly making yet another creation.

Humming quietly to himself, he felt a little better. And maybe even a little pretty.

But. . . . The feeling was only short lived.

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**ZEL: **Goodness I feel terrible for saddening little Dei-Kun! D: But I still don't remember what was going on when I wrote this ^^; And to my reviews! :D Would you like me to make this a Two-Shot? Or would making it a super young fluffie SasoDei kinda kill it? Leave me a **review** on your thoughts!


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